Awareness of Suicide Risk and Communication Between Health Care Professionals and Next-of-Kin of Suicides in the Month Before Suicide

Brian Draper; Karolina Krysinska; John Snowdon; Diego De Leo

doi:10.1111/sltb.12365

Awareness of Suicide Risk and Communication Between Health Care Professionals and Next-of-Kin of Suicides in the Month Before Suicide

Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2018 Aug;48(4):449-458. doi: 10.1111/sltb.12365. Epub 2017 Jun 22.

Authors

Brian Draper¹, Karolina Krysinska¹, John Snowdon², Diego De Leo³

Affiliations

¹ School of Psychiatry, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
² Discipline of Psychiatry, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
³ Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, National Centre of Excellence in Suicide Prevention, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Suicide Prevention, Griffith University, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.

PMID: 28640962
DOI: 10.1111/sltb.12365

Abstract

Based on psychological autopsy data, the study compared awareness of suicide risk in the deceased among next-of-kin (NOK) and health care professionals (HCPs), and communication between these two groups in the month before death. The NOKs had significantly more knowledge about the decedent's suicide warning signs than the HCPs (90.5% vs. 44.6%). Contact between NOK and HCP was initiated more often by the family than the HCPs (29.4% vs. 5.9%). The study found communication gaps between HCPs and NOK and stresses the need for suicide prevention strategies strengthening communication between these two groups.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Attitude of Health Personnel
Australia
Communication Barriers*
Female
Health Personnel / psychology
Humans
Male
Preventive Health Services / methods
Preventive Health Services / standards
Professional-Patient Relations
Quality Improvement
Suicide Prevention*
Suicide* / psychology